In an official statement made via Konami’s site, Kojima revealed that while The Phantom Pain is likely to be his last installment at the helm, he’s aiming to make it his very best.

“I want to reassure fans that I am 100% involved and will continue working on Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain,” he said. “I’m determined to make it the greatest game I’ve directed to date. Don’t miss it.”

While this is undoubtedly good news for those excited for the launch of Metal Gear Solid V, all signs still point to the famed director parting ways with the Japanese studio once the sequel has shipped. As we reported early last week, Konami currently has plans to shift gears internally, transitioning production and all other forms of output to a new, headquarters-controlled system. By all accounts, it appears as though the studio therefore has long-term plans to switch to a pragmatic approach, as opposed the having Kojima lead the charge as an auteur figure.

According to the post, that changeover will take into effect in December, a time when Kojima and a few select employees will see their contracts expire at the Japanese publisher. Still, the studio has long made it clear that it will continue to release Metal Gear games without Kojima at the helm, it just remains to be seen whether those future titles will attract the same attention as his beloved, idiosyncratic style.